Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 iakhovas Dec 30, 2011 12:03:37	erdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size:x-small">erdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size:x-small">Alright folks, here’s the deal. I’ve been contracted to write a Backdrop article for the nation of Rashemen, and I want to solicit suggestions from the Realms community. This is your chance to have a direct impact on Realmslore. Understand, however, that by participating in this thread you’re voluntarily giving up your ownership of any ideas presented. This is simply your opportunity to influence my writing. This article will be roughly five-thousand words and will be patterned after other Backdrop articles I’ve written for the Forgotten Realms (Cormyr, Sarifal, Vaasa, Chessenta). The article will also be accompanied by a detailed map of Rashemen, so if you have any suggestions for new locations or want to point out obscure locations from older sourcebooks, that would be fantastic. This article is set in 1480 DR, so I’m particularly interested in suggestions that help smooth the nation’s transition into the present time period. I view this as an experiment. Not all ideas presented here will make it into the final product, but I firmly believe that the article will benefit greatly by direct input from Realms fans. Thanks in advance!
#2 Mr_Miscellany Dec 30, 2011 12:48:25	This is awesome news! Thanks for taking the time to do this also! OK, first thing off the top of my head: Table Magic. I may be way off here, but didn't Rashemi witches use this alternative to the Weave? If yes, and with the Spellplague having destroyed the Weave, has Table Magic seen a surge in use in Rashemen? Could it be THE Arcane Power source the 4E rules talk about (sorry if not, my 4E rules knowledge is minimal)? If yes, how might that affect any rules that come along with your article?
#3 sfdragon Dec 30, 2011 16:08:15	add a rashemen with paragon bath or as a theme please.... Id say a build from lvl 1, but the witch build in the heroes of the feywild has that part covered.... oh and the masks..... and bereker themes..... I got nothing
#4 Mr_Miscellany Dec 31, 2011 0:22:18	Brian posted a similar FYI at Candlekeep. Those of you interested in seeing the suggestions posted there, or in learning bits of info about Rashemen you may not have already known about, can find that thread (or scroll, as they call it at Candlekeep) here. Suggestion:Would some mention of Ashanath, the Endless Wastes, the North Country and especially Narfell be in order? It seems like there's always tension with Thay, but what troubles, if any, are the Rashemi experiencing vis-a-vis it's other borders? Can you include a timeline? I'm curious to know when the Witch War of Rashemen took place and when the current Iron Lord gained his title. Is the white dragon Kissethkashaan plotting anything? Are the other white dragons in the area all related to Kissethkashaan? Also, I hope you'll have space to expand on the the various goblin and kobold tribes in the vicinity of Kisseth's lair that were mentioned in the FRCG.
#5 iakhovas Dec 31, 2011 12:25:48	OK, first thing off the top of my head: Table Magic. I may be way off here, but didn't Rashemi witches use this alternative to the Weave? If yes, and with the Spellplague having destroyed the Weave, has Table Magic seen a surge in use in Rashemen? I admit, I'm not up to speed on table magic. Where can I find more information about this?
#6 iakhovas Dec 31, 2011 12:28:05	add a rashemen with paragon bath or as a theme please.... Alas, this specific article is designated to be DM/lore focused but I agree that a separate player focused article would be quite useful. I'll see what I can do.
#7 iakhovas Dec 31, 2011 12:29:39	With magic going unstable for a while, the Berserker Lodges must have taken a bigger role in Rashemen's affaires. Was there a power struggle with the Witches? Are some Witches trying to regain a prominent role right now? Are some Lodgers trying to marginalize the Witches even more? Warlords can make interesting leaders in this context. The males wizards, the Vremyonni, did they all die with the Spellplague? Did they help the Witches master the new magic faster than other nations, gaining some edge in the process? What is the relation with the "new" Feywild and Rashemen's nature spirits? Did the Witches negociate some treaty with some entities from the Feywild? Is this how the Rashemen Witches delt with the Spellplague? Were they less affected because they already had deep ties with the Feywild? Could some Eladrins or other feys mascarade has Witches? What about necracy of Thay? Is there a permanent watch on Rashemen's southern border? As this lead to a militarization of Rashemen because the Thayans are now united and a more menacing force than before? Did the Thayans take advantage of Witches' weakness or power struggle with the Berserker Lodges? Did this force the Witches to form ties with foreign nations incase Thay invaded? Are the Witches still wearing a mask? Were mask wearers shun during the Spellplague (being tied with magic) so the Witches dropped them. Is there a traditionalist faction of Witches willing to bring back masks and other traditions, maybe opposing the empowered Berserker Lodges? Has the weather changed? Do they have floating ice moats? Jhuild, the firewine. It was in the Old Grey Box, it should make an appearance as an iconic item of Rashemen. Excellent Resurrection_Man! These are all great points to consider. Thanks.
#8 Mr_Miscellany Dec 31, 2011 16:36:03	I admit, I'm not up to speed on table magic. Where can I find more information about this? Looks like I got ahead of myself here. Turns out Table Magic is not Rashemi in origin, but from Halruaa. There's mention of it in Silverfall: Stories of the Seven Sisters starting on page 280 or so. One of the Red Wizards theorized the Rashemi might have such magics under their control, but I can't find any other reference to confirm this. There's also mention of it in the Ask Ed archive for 2005. Just ask your browser to searc for "table magic" on the page I linked to and it'll take you right to it. But again, no mention of Rashemen (although a rather revealing statement from Ed about how one can reset magic or even the Realms by removing the Weave). So please consider my suggestion withdrawn, but in its place a request for someone to write an article talking about all the other forms of magic besides the Weave that exist in the Realms and how those magics might come to thrive (or not) in the current era of the Realms. (Spellsinging and candle magic come to mind.)
#9 sfdragon Jan 01, 2012 12:49:36	Mr. Miscellany, I think you might have been thinking circle magic which would be an interestin thing to add
#10 Mr_Miscellany Jan 02, 2012 22:21:18	Mr. Miscellany, I think you might have been thinking circle magic which would be an interestin thing to add  Agreed! I'm not up on the 4E rules so I don't know if there are books that have covered this or not (beyond the regular rules for rituals in the Player's Handbook). Something tells me the Rashemi should for sure be able to do one better than your average ritual magic. I wonder if the Witches could hide some Thayans renegades or some Zulkyr that Tam didn't get and who want to remove him as Thay's leader. That would be awesome. I think it would be ironic, but also cool, if Rashemen were the ones intending to invade Thay for a change, especially if outcast and renegade Red Wizards were leading the charge.
#11 sfdragon Jan 02, 2012 23:10:30	If any Red Wizards entered rashemen via Exile, I do believe that they would have been given free passage to the other side of the country and told to keep going. After years of warfare, I doubt the masked witches would change their oppinions overnight
#12 dadocollin Jan 03, 2012 11:57:52	Not sure if any of the other post-Spellplague novels take place in Rashemen, but Jaleigh Johnnson's latest, Unbroken Chain: The Darker Road, took place there.  At least half of the novel takes place in or near Rashemen and the characters encounter several witches, barbarians, etc. who play a central role in the plot's resolution.  It's been a while since I read it, but there are mentions in there about Thay and its current state (I think).  You may want to give it a quick read or skim (if you haven't read it) to see how Jaleigh handled it (or email her - she's been very responsive in the Book Club section of the Community). Her novel may also answer some of the basic questions posed, like "do the witches still wear masks?" (yes). Also, the best source for Rashemen in 3rd edition was the Unapproachable East book, which detailed it quite well.  If you can get your hands on a copy, it might be helpful.
#13 Mr_Miscellany Jan 03, 2012 12:47:44	Here's a link to the book club dadocollin mentioned, for those of you (like me) who didn't know it existed until right now. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread topic.
#14 dadocollin Jan 03, 2012 13:37:59	Sadly, I think the Book Club is one of the best kept D&D secrets!  I help run the discussion there with the authors.  We're just finishing up Erik Scott de Bie's Shadowbane this week and will be starting Rosemary Jones' City of the Dead next week with introductions.  It's a great time to hop into the discussion.  We discuss the books at 50 pages a week with each other and the author.  A lot of great Realmslore and behind-the-scenes stuff comes out.  Ok, aside over... You can find the Darker Road discussions under "Forgotten Realms: General."  I'm not sure we discussed much about Rashemen in those discussions, however.
#15 gomeztoo Jan 04, 2012 2:43:17	add a rashemen with paragon bath or as a theme please.... Alas, this specific article is designated to be DM/lore focused but I agree that a separate player focused article would be quite useful. I'll see what I can do. If they like the idea for a player focused article and need a witer for it ... I'm available. I must add that I don't know all that much about Rashemen yet. Plan to pick up Darker Road this sunday. From what I do know: What may be interesting is to have a powerful plague-changed mosnetr dwell in lake Musantir. It may well be one of the reasons why the Thayans have not conquered the north,s icen any apprtoach by sea is wrecked by a magic-eating sea monster. With lake Ashen being so cold and tied to fey, a, link to Auril (and/or her fey aspect) may be appropriate. Finally, I have myself always been interested in the old Nar wars.  Some info on Raumathari ruins, and the things that go on there. Maybe a sect of Nar have come there to recover old magic or free demons entrapped there, or the Spellplague actually freed these demons and the North is now a demon-infested/tainted place? Barbarian forces may be stationed there to keep the occasional demon raid out, and Nar-descended tieflings or demon-tainted folk (potential theme/background?) may by not an uncommon occurrence there. The Ring of Gray Flames may now be the Ring of Blue Flames. Gomez
#16 dadocollin Jan 05, 2012 10:34:35	The 4th book of Richard Lee Byers Brotherhood of the Griffon Series (not out until February), is titled The Masked Witches.  The blurb: Aoth Fezim and his mercenary company have restored their tarnished reputation and attracted new recruits for their depleted ranks. But they still have one big problem. Too many griffon mounts were killed in the battles in Thay Chessenta. If “the Brotherhood of the Griffon” is to be more than a name, new mounts must be found. As it happens, the Wychlaran in Rashemen have griffons available to a worthy few who can slay the undead that are committing atrocities throughout the land. Aoth volunteers his band, as do other groups who are in the market for griffons, including Company Bez. But things are not as they seem. Epic battles between rival sellswords, berserkers, and aerial skyships punctuate this whirlwind tale set in a barbaric land of oracles, nature spirits, and talking animals. Witches cloaked in masks and bones With a pride of wild griffons for the taking…at a steep price. A gathering of foes to fight a growing evil… And decide the fate of this spiritual land.   It might be worth an email to Richard Byers to find out what information he was given about Rashemen and the Witches.  I haven't seen Richard in the Community, but he is a regular on Facebook.  Just look him up there.  I think both of these authors would probably get back to you and let you know what (if any) information they were given outside of the FR source books.
#17 DoctorBadWolf Jan 06, 2012 1:10:15	This is incredibly exciting. I loved the Rashemen in Bladesinger, and the guy from Daughter of The Drow. Awesome. I hope you've read them, or maybe someone could summorize the Rashemen stuff from both. I definately would like to see a basic breakdown of current politics, if they've changed. A magic item for the Witches' masks is a must, as well. Unfortunately, I have to go sleep now. More tomorrow!
#18 DoctorBadWolf Jan 06, 2012 15:00:42	Some further thoughts, now that I'm more awake. I would love some information on how the Feywild and Primal Spirits interact with Rashemen. Perhaps the witches got help from the Fey and/or Primals in getting a hold of their magic again. Perhaps they now have a stronger connection to the spirits of nature, as well as places in the land having a stronger confluence. I would love to see Rashemen get even more of that Eastern Europe folk-lore feel it's got. The vistas could be Feywild-esque, just achingly beautiful and vibrantly alive. And just as dangerous, perhaps. I think that it would be much more interesting if Rashemen is less influenced directly by the spellplague, but more influenced by the political changes, and things like the proximity of the Feywild. Hamadryads amongst the Wychlaran, anyone?
#19 Shroomy Jan 13, 2012 12:56:34	A large number of Faerun's hengeyokai population dwells in Rashemen.
#20 Alphastream Jan 13, 2012 14:36:53	The FR Wiki has some details, such as their wine and cheese. We set the Living Forgotten Realms adventure What Storms May Come in Rashemen and it features some Wychlaran that could be used in the article. We also described the terrain somewhat and placed a frozen-over temple to the north that held an artifact linked to radiant energy. While I didn't write it for canon reasons, my vision was that this was an artifact of Mystra. The plot itself is the conclusion to a three-part arc involving "the Radiance", a mysterious way by which certain women have inherited (and passed on) a gift of radiant energy. Again, to avoid establishing canon we didn't say it, but part of my concept was that this radiance came from the death of Mystra. Starting in Thesk, the radiance becomes embroiled in a plot by Szass Tam, who seeks to corrupt it. You can download CORE1-14 What Storms May Come here. I believe other LFR adventures have or will take place there, so you could reach out to the admins on their forums. I look forward to the article!